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Crimson Dawn
In the eyes of its followers, the Crimson Dawn is not a religious organization or sect, but rather a calling. As such, they commonly consider themselves followers of the Church of the Holy Light, simply followers who have been chosen for this pivotal moment in their history. The movement was begun by High General Brigitte Abbendis, who claimed in her diary to have witnessed a vision guiding her northward to strike the finishing blow against the Lich King. Even after her death, some in the Onslaught continued to cling to her vision, particularly those in New Hearthglen, where the Raven Conclave had not yet taken root. It is a slowly dying ideology, however, as it never had much of a formal canon, and its membership is either dying out or being consumed by other branches of Light worship. Background The roots of the Crimson Dawn ideology were laid in 28 LC, when Brigitte Abbendis experienced her first vision. According to her diary, these visions came to her with increasing frequency and clarity, ultimately leading her to the conclusion that she and the most faithful warriors of the Scarlet Crusade must travel to Northrend in order to strike out against the heart of the Lich King's domain. She spent the next year traveling the Plaguelands, gathering support for her mission. Due to resistance from certain members of the Scarlet hierarchy, her message was only widespread in the eastern wing of the Crusade, namely in New Avalon and Tyr's Hand. It was expected that the Grand Crusader, Saidan Dathrohan, would put a stop to her nascent expedition, as she had been an ideological opponent of Abbendis's since her father's death at Hearthglen, and Mograine's opinions were typically no more than echoes of the Grand Crusader's own. However, to the surprise of many, Dathrohan let her depart without incident, though notably also without explicit approval. This prophetic interpretation of the Holy Light's will was the driving force behind the Scarlet Onslaught for only a short period of time, as Barean Westwind's arrival in mid-29 LC heralded the foundation of the Raven Conclave, whose tenets to many seemed a crystallization and natural progression of the vague tenets espoused by General Abbendis. Abbendis herself was incredibly resistant to the spread of the Raven ideology, ultimately leading to an internal schism that resulted in her faithful Crimson Dawn followers remaining in New Hearthglen, while the Raven's adherents traveled north to Onslaught Harbor under Westwind's command. Abbendis was assassinated soon afterward, leaving the sect without a religious head. Principles The Crimson Dawn was not a particularly formal sect of the Church; it never developed tenets or practices truly varying from its root religion. More than anything else, the Crimson Dawn could be said to be less of a religious sect and more of a crusading order of the Church of the Holy Light. It has no formal clergy, delegating this task to the already-extant Scarlet religious orders, with the core of its membership being paladins and other warriors sworn to Abbendis's task. Beliefs * Monotheism: The Crimson Dawn holds to the mainstream Church's monolithic tradition of venerating the Light and the Light only. While certain keepers such as Tyr may be acknowledged as the Light's agents, they are not objects of worship. * Predestination: The Crimson Dawn was entirely guided by Abbendis's visions, considered by the entirety of the sect's membership to be prophetic and divine in nature. Concepts * Justice: The Crimson Dawn sees itself as the chosen arbiters of the Light's judgment. This often translates to a superior attitude being taken towards even other followers of the Light, and an absolute ruthlessness levied against all those considered unholy. * Pan-Humanism: While not often explicitly identified as such, most of the Onslaught see humanity as the Light's chosen people and are dismissive of - if not downright hostile towards - other races. Holy Texts The Crimson Dawn follows the unabridged Tome of Divinity as the core of its faith, as do most mainstream Light sects. This is sometimes augmented by High General Abbendis's diary, which was not seen as a holy text during her lifetime (and was, in fact, kept a secret from most of the Onslaught for the sake of security) but is often used as a guide for those seeking to understand the exact nature of her visions now that she is gone.Category:Scarlet Onslaught Category:Strongarm's Onslaught Category:Religion Category:Church of the Holy Light